Protective device having electrical resetting



June 20, 1944. LEONARD 2,351,983

PROTECTIVE DEVICE HAVING ELECTRICAL RESETTING Filed Nov. 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l M 1 19? Z. T 6'2 I L n-- "-|:T j 51 a 44 .43 45 13 12 4a 14 49 6 28 ax n L9 62 23 WITNESSES: 2:? INVENTOR AZ 4 Mar/7W Zea/7 0rd. '4 I BY 221g. I 64 g t: f

ATTORNEY June 20, 1944. LEONARD 2,351,983

PROTECTIVE DEVICE HAVING ELECTRICAL RESETTING Filed Nov. 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Insulation Fiy. 3.

Woven Glass 87 WITNESSES: if 5 r] I 8; INVENTOR I J fife/rill Gleonczrd. 4 =89 1 BY 12194 FM ATTORNE Patented June 20, 1944 UNI E STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,851,! C PROTECTIVE DEVICE HAVING ELECTRICAL SETTING Merrill G. Leonard, Sharon, Pa., assignor to Westingliouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. East Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation or Pennsyl- Appllcation November 26.1941, Serial No. 420,501

The invention relates to protective equipment & Claims.

for electrical apparatus and, more particularly, to circuit controlling devices for use in such electrical apparatus.

In such electrical apparatus, it is frequently desired to provide means for protecting the apparatus iromdamage that may be caused by overheating due to overloading the apparatus, and it is common practice to provide a circuit breaker controlled by a thermally responsive element that is operative to interrupt the load circuit of the apparatus upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition. A condition that might be used for causing the circuit breaker to operate to interrupt the load circuit is heating resulting irom an overload that is sustained for too long a period. The thermally responsive element may also be effective to give an indication somewhat prior to the occurrence of a condition necessary to unload the apparatus that such a condition is nearly reached.

In distribution apparatus, where the amount of power used per unit is small, it is usual to provide larger apparatus, the same type of circuit break- I er device may be used as a relay for controlling a main breaker so that both sets of contacts, that is, those'which control the alarm or indicating signal for indicating that the load on the apparatus is approaching the limiting value, and those which control the circuit for interrupting the main load circuit through the apparatus may both be used to control relay circuits.

In my copending application Serial No. 421,- 787, for Protective devices for electrical apparatus, died December 5, 1941, and assigned to the same assignee as this application, a protective system is described in which a circuit breaker controlling device is employed that is sensitive to the condition of an electrical apparatus as determined by a thermally responsive element which is arranged to release a plurality of latch arms. One of these latch arms trips when a predetermined limiting condition on the apparatus occurs in order to effect the unloading of the apparatus, and the other trips prior to the occurrence of this limiting condition to indicate that the condition is nearly reached. This second named latch when released operates to close a circuit including a high impedance indicating device and a resetting device that when suiiiciently energized operates to return the two latch arms to their initial positions from which they may be again released upon a further occurrence oi the predetermined conditions of the apparatus eilecting their operation.

When the operating coil oi the resetting device is connected in series circuit relation with the high impedance indicating device, the resetting device is not sufllciently energized to cause its operation. It is necessary, therefore, to shunt the high impedance device from the series circuit when it is desired to effect the operation of the resetting device. In my copending application a simple switch means is shown for shunting the high impedance device from the series circuit. If such a switch is used for this purpose, and if it is-ciosed soon after the latch arms have been tripped and before the bimetal element has had an opportunity to cool somewhat below the tripping temperatures, it is possible that the catch controlled by the bimetai element will not have returned to its latching position to engage the latches and hold them in their normal latched positions.

Since the circuit for energizing the resetting device is interrupted upon the return of the associated latch to its latched position, this device a is immediately deenergized, and if the latch arm is not retained by the catch, it immediately operates as above described. It the switch for shunting the indicating device from the series circuit is maintained closed, the latches will be repeatedly operated between these two positions until the bimetal element cools sufllciently to latch them in their normal or open circuit positions. This repeated operation is undesirable for a number of reasons, and a considerable reduction in the size and cost of the resetting equipment is possible it it does not have to be sufliciently rugged to withstand this continuously repeating operation.

It is also desirable that the switch which shunts the indicating device from the series circuit be open when the latch for closing this circuit is released so that the indicating device is operative to indicate thisoperation.

It is an object of the invention to provide protective equipment for electrical apparatus of the above-indicated character in which means are provided for preventing repeated rapid opera- Figure 1 is a simplified diagrammatic view of circuits and apparatus illustrating the application of a thermally controlled relay device for controlling an indicating circuit and a circuit breaker control circuit;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of the relay de- I vice diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, of the thermally controlled relay taken along the dot and dash line III-III in Fig. 2, connected to a manually operating resetting switch shown in section taken along the dot and dash line IIL-III of Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the resetting switch taken along the dot and dash line IV-IV of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 5 is an end view 01' the manually operable switch assembly.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly 'to Fig. 1 thereof, an electrical apparatus is illustrated including an apparatus casing I housing a core and coil assembly 2 immersed in an insulating liquid 3, and provided with high-voltage terminal conductors 4 and 8 and low'voltage terminal conductors 8 and I which may be connected to high-voltage and low-voltage external circuits through conventional bushings in a well-known manner. A circuit breaker indicated generally at II is provided for connecting the conductors 6 and I to the outside circuit, and is controlled by a relay indicated generally at l2 immersed in the insulating liquid 3 and comprises a casing i3 enclosing a bimetal element It that is shown included in the circuit of conductor 6, so that the bimetal element is responsive to both the flow of current therethrough and heating resulting from the temperature of the liquid 3 in which it is immersed. The bimetal element It is physically arranged so that one end is mounted on a relatively fixed abutment i5, and the other end is free to move and carries a catch l6 that is adapted to engage latches l1 and II to normally retain them in their illustrated positions against the pull or the'springs 2i and 22, respectively. The latches i1 and i8 are so arranged that the latch It has the lesser overlap with the catch it, so that as the bimetal i4 is heated and the catch it moves upwardly the latch arm ll will 'be the first to be released and will be forced by the spring 22 to close contacts 23 and 2!, thus completing a circuit from the source represented by conductors 61 through a high impedance indicating device such as a lamp 2! and a resetting coil 28 of the relay i2. The closing of this circuit notifies the operator that the apparatus is loaded nearly to its maximum capacity, thus giving an opportunity to rearrange the load and prevent further increase in the heating 01' the apparatus.

when the apparatus is so unloaded and it is desired to reset the latch arm II, a switch 21 that is provided in shunt relation to the lamp 2! may be closed, thus shunting the lamp from the abovetraced circuit and increasing the energization of the coil suflicientlv to cause it to operate its associated armature 2| and an arm 2! controlled thereby to return the latch l8 to its initial position, as will be further described in detail. The

armature 28 and the arm 29 actuated thereby for engaging the latch arms i1 and ill are best shown in Figs. 2, and 3, and are omitted from Fig. l for the sake of simplicity.

Should the overload on the apparatus continue suillciently for the bimetal element ll to continue the upward movement of the catch Hi, the latch arm I! will :be released and operated by the spring 2i to cause movement of the contact member 3i into engagement with the contact member 8i! to close a circuit through the opening winding 33 of the breaker Ii, to actuate the contact members 84 from their circuit closing positions and interrupt the load circuit through the apparatus. When the apparatus has cooled sufllciently to permit return of the catch member it to a position to engage the latch arms i1 and i8, operation of the switch 21 to its circuit closing position to shunt the indicating device 25 from the indicating circuit and increase the energization of the coil 28 will eifect movement of both latches I1 and I! to their illus-- trated position to again be retained by the catch it until released by i-urther operation. Upon return of the latch arm I! to its latched position, a circuit is closed through contact members II and 3B for energizing the closing coil 3] of the circuit breaker i I, operating the contact members 34 to their circuit closing positions. The circuit through the contact members 36 and 38 may be so arranged that these contact members close one point only in the circuit, the final completion oi the circuit being made by a manually operated switch after the circuit has been conditioned by closing oi. members 35 and 36.

The description thus far has been directed largely to the circuits and basic elements of the apparatus shown diagrammatically in Fig. l. The detailed arrangement of the parts of the relay device I2 is shown in greater detail in the remaining figures of the drawings.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, the bimetal element i4 is positioned with its relatively fixed end mounted on a yoke ll, the other end of which carries a block of insulating material 43 upon which is mounted the catch I8. The yoke ii is mounted on a shait 42 carried by the casing II and is provided with an adjustable arm I. for positioning the bimetal element so that the latch will become effective to release the latches at selected predetermined temperatures. The outer end of the arm II is positioned by being held between the head 49 of a bolt Ii and a spring I. An adjusting nut 52 is provided at the upper end of the bolt for adjusting the position 01 the arm 48. The relay device is normally positioned within an electrical apparatus, such as a transformer containing a cooling and insulating liquid which also surrounds the bimetal element II. This element may be arranged to be heated both by such liquid and by current flowing through the 'bimetal element through a circuit connected from terminals 48 and 41 through conductors U and 45, such current being a measure of the current in the load circuit of the apparatus.

A latch arm II is provided mounted on a shalt it that is held by the casing it, the upper end of the arm l8 being normally retained by the catch it. The latch arm II is provided with a horizontal portion 51 carrying the contact member 23 which is adapted to engage the contact member 24' carried by leaf spring II that is mounted on two studs 12. The outer end of the lest spring is normally engages an insulating strip 82 mounted on a stud 84 mounted on the casi g as one terminal of the resetting control circuit. The resetting mechanism includes the resetting coil 28 tor energizing a core 8| and actuating the associated armature 28 so as to bring the operating arm 28 against the latch arms I1 and I8 after they have been released by the catch II to return them to their illustrated positions. The second latch I! is provided for controlling the main circuit breaker and its operation has been generally described with respect to Fig. 1, and will not now be described in further detail. The latch arm I1 is generally similar in construction to the latch arm l8, and the two latch devices may be so adjusted that they will be released by diflerent amounts of upward movement of the catch l8, as operated by the bimetal element l4.

If the electrical apparatus being protected is heated sufficiently that the bimetal |4 moves the catch l8 upwardly until the latch I8 is released, the latch will be actuated by a spring 22 and link 38 to cause engagement of the contact members 28 and 24 to close a circuit from a source represented at 85 through conductor 66, a lamp or similar high impedance indicating device 25, conductor 88, stud 64, conductor 88, the coil 28, conductor I I, contact members 28 and 24, leaf spring 58, stud I2, and conductor 18 to the source 85'. The device 25 when energized gives an indication that the electrical apparatus is loaded nearly to its permissible limit, and that it measures are not taken to prevent a further increase in load, the load circuit will be interrupted automatically upon a slight increase in the apparatus load. As above explained, in order to energize the coil 28 sufflciently to eifect its operation to reset the latch l8, or both of the latches I1 and I8, as may be'required, it is necessary to shunt the device 25 from the above-traced circuit. This is done by means of a manually operable switch indicated generally at 21.

The switch assembly 21 includes a metal housing 82 surrounding a molded case 83 from which lugs 84 extend outwardly for accommodating screws 85 by means of which the assembly is attached to a mounting panel 86 shown positioned between the ends of the screws 85 and an outwardly extending flange 81 in the end or the housing 82.

Terminal members 88 and 88 are provided and extend through one end of the molded case 83.

A bimetal element 8| is attached at 88 to the inner end of the terminal 88 and a heat resistant tube 82 is positioned about the bimetal element. Such tube may be formed of woven glass material. A heating coil 83 is wound about the tube 82. The switch is provided with a contact member 84 carried by the bimetal element 8|, and a contact meinber 85 carried by a manually operable handle 88 mounted on a pivot pin 81, and normally held in its illustrated or open circult position by a spring 88 extending between the handle 88 and the molded case. The handle 81 extends through an opening in the molded case which is so formed as to provide a stop at 88 to limit the movement of the handle in the direction to effect the closing oI the switch.

When it is desired to energize the resetting coil 26,.the handle 88 of the resetting switch is moved upwardly against the stop 88 as viewed in Fig. 3, thus bringing the contact member 85 into engagement with the contact member 84 and closing a circuit in shunt to the device 25 through the bimetal element 8|, the heating coil 83, the

causes immediate energization of the resetting Y device actuating the armature 28 and the lever terminals 88 and 88 and conductors I88. This their illustrated positions, in which they are normally held by the catch I8. I; the bimetal element l4 has suiliciently cooled so that the catch l8 has moved downwardly a sufllcient distance to retain the latch devices in their-illustrated positions, the resetting operation is complete. If, however, the bimetal element has not yet cooled, and the shunt circuit through contact members 84 and remain closed, the repeated operations of the latch 8 between its open circuit and closed circuit positions above described will occur. The heating of the bimetal element 8| causes the contact member 84 to separate from the contact member 85 to interrupt the shunt circuit about the device 25 so that the latches l1 and I8 will be permitted to remain in their unlatched positions for a certain period of time after having been operated to their normally latched positions and not retained in that position. The heat retaining tube 82 by limiting the rate of heat radiation from the bimetal 8|, and the heating coil 83 byapplying additional heat thereto, cause the bimetal element 8| to be heated to a higher temperature, and to retain its heat for a longer period of time than would be the case if these elements were not present. The result is that the contact member 84 moves further from the contact member 85 to insure a wider separation of these contacts, and the contacts remain separated for a longer period of time, during which interval the resetting coil 26 will not be again energized. When the contact member 84 again engages the contact member 85, the resetting coil 26 will again be energized, and it the interval of time has not been suflioient to permit the bimetal element l4 to cool sufliciently so that the catch I8 retains the latch arms I! and I8 in their illustrated positions the bimetal element 8| will again be heated sufliciently to repeat the operation above described. Thus, the operator may move the handle 88 against the stop 88 and retain it in that position without fear of damaging the apparatus.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications in the circuit and apparatus illustrated and described may be made within the spirit of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited otherwise than by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, an electrical apparatus, protective means therefor including a circuit breaker for closing a circuit upon a predetermined condition of the apparatus, a high impedance element in said circuit, means in said circuit operable upon the shunting of said high impedance element from said circuit for resetting the circuit breaker to its initial position, and a switch device for shunting said high impedance element from said circuit comprising a pair of contact members, means for moving one of said contact members into engagement with the other for closing said shunt circuit, and means in series circuit therewith and responsive to the flow of current through said contact members to efiect a relatively wide separation between the contact members and a relatively long time interval between their separation and reclosing.

2. In combination, an electrical apparatus, protective means therefor including a circuit breaker for closing a circuit upon a predetermined condition of the apparatus, a high impedance element in said circuit, means in said circuit operable upon the shuntingof said high impedance element from said circuit for resetting the circuit breaker to its initial position, and a switch device for shunting said high impedance element from said circuit comprising a pair of contact members, one of said contact members being mounted on a resflient support and the other contact member being mounted on a manually movable member for movement to a predetermined position in engagement with the first named contact member, and thermal means responsive to the current fiow through said contact members for moving the first named contact member to effect separation of the contact members after a predetermined time or current fiow therethrough, and to eflect a return movement of the first named contact member to its former circuit closing position after a further predetermined time interval.

3. In combination, an electrical apparatus, protective means therefor including a circuit breaker for closing a circuit'upon a predetermined condition of the apparatus, a high impedance element in said circuit, means in said circuit operable upon the shunting of said high impedance element from said circuit for resetting the circuit breaker to its initial position, and a switch device for shunting said high impedance element from said circuit comprising a pair of contact members, one of said contact members being mounted on a resilient support and the other contact member being mounted on a manually movable member for movement to a predetermined position in engagement with the first named contact member, a bimetal element thermally responsive to the current flowing through said contact members for moving the first named one of said contact members to eil'ect separation thereof after a predetermined duration of current flow therethrough, and to eilect a return movement of the first named contact member to its former circuit closing position after a further predetermined time interval.

' 4. In combination, an electrical apparatus, protective means therefor including a circuit breaker for closing a circuit upon a predetermined condition of the apparatus, a high impedance element in said circuit, means in said circuit operable upon the shunting of said high impedance element from said circuit for resetting the circuit breaker to its initial position, and a switch device for shunting said high impedance element from said circuit comprising a pair of contact members, one of said contact members being mounted on a resilient support and the other contact member being mounted on a manually movable member for movement to a predetermined position in engagement with the first named contact member, a imetal element thermally responsive to the current flowing through said contact members for moving the first named one of said contact members to efiect separation thereof after a predeterrn'ned duration of current flow therethrough, and to effect a return movement of the first named contact member to its former circuit closing position after a further predetermined time interval, a'tube of temperature resistant material about the bimetal and a heating coil about the tube connected in series with said contact members to increase the heat applied to the bimetal and provide a relatively long time interval between the separation and subsequent engagement of said contact members.

5. In a protective system for electrical apparatus, in combination, a device responsive to pre- 15 determined conditions, a thermally responsive element movable in accordance with variations in said conditions, a movable circuit controlling element biased to a circuit closing position and means for latching said element in a restrained circuit interrupting position, a circuit closed by said circuit controlling element upon the unlatching thereof by said thermally responsive element, said circuit including a high impedance indicating device and a resetting device, and a switch devce for shunting said high impedance element from said circuit comprising a pair or contact members, means for moving one of said contact members into engagement with the other for closing said shunt circuit, and means in series circuit therewith and responsive to the flow or current through said contact members to effect a relative- 1y wide separation between the contact members and a relatively long time interval between their separation and reclosing.

6. In a protective system for electrical apparatus, in combination, a device responsive to predetermined conditions, a thermally responsive ele- ,ment movable in accordance with variations in said conditions, a movable circuit controlling element biased to a circuit closing position and means for latching said element in a restrained circuit interrupting position, a circuit closed by said circuit controlling element upon the unlatching thereof by said thermally responsive element, said circuit including a high impedance indicating device and a resetting device, and a switch device for shunting said high impedance element from said circuit comprising a pair of contact members, one of said contact members being mounted on a resilient support and the other contact member being mounted on a manually movable member for movement to a predetermined position in engagement with the first named member, and thermal means responsive to the current flow through said contact members for moving the first named one of said contact members to effect separation thereof after a predetermined time during. current flow therethrough and to effect a return movement of the first named contact member to its former circuit closing position after a further predetermined time interval.

7. In a protective system for electrical apparatus, in combination, a device responsive to predetermined conditions, a thermally responsive elementmovable in accordance with variations in said conditions, a movable circuit controlling element biased to a circuit closing position and means for latching said element in a restrained circuit interrupting position, a circuit closed by said circuit controlling element upon the unlatching thereof by said thermally responsive element, said circuit including a high impedance indicating device and a resetting device, and a switch device for shunting said high impedance element from said circuit comprising a pair of contact members, one or said contact members being mounted on a resilient support and the other contact member being mounted on a manually movable member for movement to a predetermined position in engagement with a first named member, a bimetal element thermally responsive to the current flowing through said contact members for moving the first named one 0! said contact members to eiIect separation thereof after a predetermined duration or current flow therethrough, and to effect a return movement of the first named contact member to its former circuit closing position after a further predetermined time interval.

8. In a protective system !or electrical apparatus, in combination, a device responsive to predetermined conditions, a thermally responsive element movable in accordance with variations in said conditions, a movable circuit controlling element biased to a circuit closing position and means for latching said element in a restrained named member, a bimetal element thermally responsive to the current flowing through said contact members for moving the first named one of said contact members to eiIect separation thereof after a predetermined duration of current flow therethrough, and to effect a return movement of the first named contact member to its former circuit closing position after a further predetermined time interval, a tube of high thermal temlo perature coeflicient material about the bimetal and a heating coil about the tube connected in series with said contact members to increase the heat applied to the bimetal and provide a relatively long time interval between the separation and subsequent engagement oi said contact members.

MERRILL G. LEONARD. 

